SkyHouse aimed at young urbanites

TAMPA — With their first turn of a shovel, the developers of SkyHouse Channelside are betting that Tampa’s young urbanites will be willing to pay a premium for a nice view and hip address.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and many city officials were on hand Tuesday morning for a celebratory, if hot and muggy, groundbreaking event at SkyHouse Channelside’s future site, on North 12th Street between Washington and Whiting streets.

Atlanta-based developers Novare Group and Batson-Cook Development Co. have built several SkyHouse apartment towers around the country, each of which has a rooftop “skyhouse” — a community area with pool and lounge, fitness area and club room. Its new Tampa tower will follow the mold, offering 320 luxury units in 23 stories.

Like many other apartment developers lately, SkyHouse Channelside is targeting the affluent young professional able to pay rents near the the top of the market. At $2 per square foot, a typical 800-square-foot unit will run about $1,600 a month, Novare Chief Executive Officer Jim Borders said.

The developers hope to open the building in March 2015, he said.

For Buckhorn, SkyHouse Channelside plays into a frequent theme of his speeches: the need to appeal to the young creative class that makes a city vibrant.

“I want more, I want it faster, and I’m not losing any more kids to Charlotte, North Carolina,” he told the crowd.